Kotomi stepped forward and wrapped Megumi Kato in her arms, snuggling up to her in a soft, coquettish manner.
"Megumi, from now on, I'll leave all my gacha pulls in the game to you."
"O-okay!"
Caught off guard by Kotomi's sudden embrace, Megumi's cheeks flushed uncontrollably. Even she wasn't immune to moments of shyness when Kotomi took the initiative.
Just as Megumi was about to return the hug, Kotomi shifted slightly, slipping from her arms to her back. Her delicate arms looped around Megumi's neck as she clung onto her.
"Megumi, carry me~"
Lying on Megumi's back, Kotomi's voice carried a hint of childlike sweetness as she playfully whined.
Because she had gone to bed far too late the previous night, even though she had woken up on time today, the drowsiness wasn't so easy to shake off. Just walking along the road made her feel sleepy.
So she simply latched onto Megumi's back, acting spoiled, asking to be carried to school.
Megumi turned her head slightly to glance at Kotomi, who was sprawled on her back, and let out a helpless sigh. Then, with a small smile, she handed Kotomi both of their school bags before smoothly hoisting her onto her back, her hands securing Kotomi around her thighs and the area between her calves.
Feeling Megumi's carrying posture, Kotomi blinked in mild surprise before letting out a soft chuckle.
"Megumi, I thought you'd put your hands under my butt to support me, but I didn't expect you to be so gentlemanly~"
"If this were a normal piggyback ride, my hands would have already wandered somewhere they shouldn't. But right now, you look exhausted. Since you're asking me to carry you so you can get some proper rest, how could I tease you? Just relax on my back and sleep. I'll make sure to get you to the classroom safe and sound."
For some reason, Megumi's voice at that moment was incredibly soothing.
"Thank you…"
Kotomi murmured softly, having reached her limit. She drifted off to sleep on Megumi's back, still clutching the two school bags in her small hands.
All the way to Sobu High School, Megumi carried Kotomi on her back.
As the school's undisputed top beauty, Kotomi had no shortage of admirers—whether male or female—who secretly liked her or even wanted to confess to her. If they all lined up, the queue would stretch from the west gate of the school to the east gate!
And now, she was being carried by Megumi. Even though both of them were girls, the sight still drew plenty of curious stares along the way.
"Hey, isn't that Izumi-san? Why is she being carried by another girl?"
"They seem really close… I'm so jealous. I want to carry Izumi-san too."
"Ugh, I gave Izumi-san a love letter a few days ago, and she didn't even read it before rejecting me outright…"
"Who's that girl carrying Izumi-san? Does anyone know her?"
"No idea. She looks pretty unremarkable."
"Could she be a classmate? But I don't remember ever seeing her. I've sneaked over to Class 1-F's doorway several times to get a glimpse of Kotomi, but I've never seen her inside the classroom."
"I'm a student from Class 1-F... But why does it feel like this is my first time seeing this short-haired girl?"
Megumi Kato paid no attention to the gazes and hushed whispers around her. She had always been an inconspicuous background character. The only reason she was drawing so much attention now was because she was carrying on her back none other than Kotomi—the beautiful girl that countless people secretly admired, wished to pursue, but ultimately failed to win over.
"This is too much…"
Suddenly, Kotomi, who was lying on Megumi's back, muttered softly.
"Hm?" Megumi turned her head slightly to glance at Kotomi, surprised to find that she had woken up at some point.
"How can they say that about you, Megumi? You're not some forgettable classmate at all!"
Kotomi pouted angrily, clearly displeased. It was as if hearing others speak poorly of Megumi upset her more than anyone else.
A little girl could never tolerate anything she treasured being spoken of poorly. Not a single word!
Megumi chuckled lightly, completely unfazed, as if the only thing that truly mattered to her was the little penguin currently lying on her back. "You're awake?"
"As soon as we entered the school, I woke up naturally. After all, I need to switch to my indoor shoes once we reach the building."
"I'd be more than happy to help you change them~" Megumi said with great anticipation. In fact, ever since she had carried Kotomi on her back, this had been the first thought on her mind.
"I won't let you get your way! I'm getting down now," Kotomi murmured, her face flushed.
That's what she said, but in reality, her body was being completely honest—she still let Megumi carry her all the way to the shoe lockers at the entrance of the school building.
Having slept on Megumi's back the entire way, she still felt a bit drowsy, but it was much better than before. At the very least, her eyelids no longer felt as heavy.
"Aren't you going to nap a little more during morning study time?" Megumi asked.
"No, if I sleep any longer, I can't guarantee I'll wake up before the first period starts. And the first class is math." Kotomi instinctively shrank her neck—she didn't dare take that risk.
She definitely didn't want to be called out by Nakamori-sensei.
What Kotomi hadn't realized yet was that even if she did doze off during class, Nakamori-sensei—strict as he was—would likely just turn a blind eye. At most, if he really couldn't stand it, he would just remind her quietly instead of reprimanding her outright.
After all, in the previous monthly exam, Kotomi's biggest highlight had been her exceptional performance in science subjects. As a math teacher with years of experience, having a student who suddenly ranked first in all of Tokyo—who wouldn't be thrilled? What teacher wouldn't see such a student as a treasure?
As for sleeping in class?
He would probably just assume she was diligently studying with her head down.
There was no way Kotomi was going to waste the precious morning study period, so she took out her phone and began playing games in secret.
As the first period approached, a sudden knocking sound came from the classroom entrance. Some students instinctively looked up and saw Kisara Tendo standing at the doorway, seemingly looking for someone.
"It's Tendo-senpai from the second year!"
"Just like the rumors say, she's a stunning beauty."
"The one they call the 'Sword Demon,' Kisara Tendo… Mm—her gaze is so cool and so beautiful. I kind of want her to step on my head and thrash me with a bamboo sword," a female student murmured under her breath, unable to suppress her excitement.
While many students had their attention drawn to the sudden appearance of Kisara Tendo, Kotomi remained focused on her game, her head lowered and her expression utterly serious. She was completely unaware that Tendo-senpai had already arrived.
After spotting Kotomi, Kisara Tendo walked straight over and knocked on her desk, snapping her out of her concentration. "Stop playing games and come with me for a moment."
Hearing Kisara Tendo's voice, Kotomi finally pulled herself away from the game—though the dungeon she was in was still unfinished, and she couldn't just pause it. She was unwilling to give up the rewards she had fought so hard to obtain.
After thinking it over, Kotomi had no choice but to temporarily entrust her phone to Megumi Kato. "Megumi, I need to step out with Tendo-senpai for a bit. Can you help me finish this dungeon? My team is well-leveled, so just spam the skills however you want. Thanks!"
"Sure, sure~"
Megumi casually took the phone, and Kotomi followed Kisara Tendo out of the classroom.
"Ohhh, so that's how you play this game."
It didn't take long for Megumi to grasp the basic mechanics, and since there were still a few minutes before class started, she decided to help Kotomi clear the dungeon.
Ding-ling-ling.
Just as Megumi was fully immersed in the game on Kotomi's phone, a sudden notification sound rang out, signaling an incoming message.
On the screen, a text message from Iroha Isshiki popped up.
Naturally, Megumi's gaze was drawn straight to the message.
"Iroha Isshiki… Who is she? And why is she messaging Kotomi at this time?"
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